Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Patients with Diabetes Mellitus before and after Educational Intervention In Jos, Nigeria

Abstract

Health education is a combination of activities aimed at facilitating changes in behaviour and adoption of practices that should decrease the risk of disease and illness, thereby reducing death and disability. Health education has always been of concern, albeit ignored by many clinicians in the management of people with Diabetes mellitus. In this study we have assessed the short-term effect of health education on knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of patients with Diabetes.
The study was conducted at the Plateau state chapter of Diabetes Association of Nigeria meetings in the General out-patient department hall of Jos University Teaching Hospital. One hundred regular meeting attendees were randomly selected using the attendance register of the Association and each administered a structured questionnaire consisting of the 3 domains of knowledge, attitude and practice. Responses were documented before and after health education on diabetes over a six month period.
Of the 100 patients (42 males and 58 females) administered the questionnaire before the education programme, 86(36males and 50 females) were available for the post-programme test. The mean age (range) of the patients was 52 (16-71) years. The mean (SD) fasting plasma glucose concentration before education was 11.2 (2.1) mmol/l, whereas it fell to a mean (SD) level of 7.2 (1.6) mmol/l after education (p<0.01).
There were significant improvements in the 10 stems of the domain on knowledge after education (p<0.005). For instance the stem; “What is diabetes?” which elicited 26 (30.2%) correct answers pre-education improved to 86 (100%) correct answers post-education. The least improvement in knowledge was 62 (72.1%) correct responses post-education for knowledge of plasma glucose testing: Only 3 (3.5%) correct responses were obtained pre-education. Similarly, there were also significant changes in the other domains of attitude (4 stems) and practice (5 stems).
The results from this study suggest that diabetes education in our patients is achievable and worthwhile.


The Journal of Medicine in the Tropics Vol. 9 (1) 2007: pp. 3-10